Modern Warfare 3 has blue UI instead of red - and there's a good reason why

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's UI is themed around blue instead of red for a very good reason.

Yesterday, October 2, Sledgehammer unveiled a new look at Modern Warfare 3's Gunsmith customization options for its weapons in the video below. One overlooked detail in the video is the fact that certain UI elements in the new game, like the player's cursor hovering over menu options, are highlighted in blue, instead of the typical red.

Take your loadout customization to the next level 🔧Aftermarket Parts give you an entirely new way to interact with a weapon in #MW3 Gunsmith 🔫 pic.twitter.com/RP5gbRk5S4October 2, 2023

Now, one Call of Duty lead has explained why this is. In the tweets below, design and UI director Ben Furneaux reveals the UI elements are blue to make it look as though you're seeing the entire thing through blue-tinted glass. Sure, that's a detail we never would've realized unless we were directly told about it.

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But red is 100% the right tonal identity for MWIII, so instead we brought MWIII's identity throughout our interface in ways you'll see soon including some really dope environments.As for the UI ultimately paying homage to MW's heritage felt right and we landed on the blue glassOctober 2, 2023

Red is also a tricky color to design around, Furneaux elaborates, because "everything is screaming stop." Shading the entire UI system in a green color to corresponding with 'go' probably wasn't the solution Sledgehammer's UI team was looking for with this challenge.

But still, red is the "right tonal identity" for Modern Warfare 3, Furneaux continues. We can't argue with this, considering it's a game about gunning people down with a certain bloodlust. So red is sill present in Modern Warfare 3, but it's blue that sneaks its way in the UI system for a very good reason.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is out later this year on November 10, and it's bringing back the series' most infamous villain for another round.

Check out our Modern Warfare 3 open beta guide for a look at when you can play the multiplayer portion of the game ahead of launch.

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.